Method and apparatus for the referenced labeling of sheet material

ABSTRACT

Accurate and consistent application of a label or the like to a sheet of cardboard or the like in fixed relation to a reference point on the cardboard is effected by an apparatus comprising a sheet material feeding means, a label feeding means, a label transport means synchronized with each of said sheet and label feeding means, a referencing means on said transport means in fixed relation to said label being carried thereby to cut and index said sheet material and thereby provide a uniform reference for application of said label and for further processing of said labeled sheet material. The label may be glued and as the glued label is brought into contact with the cardboard the cutting tool is operated to simultaneously notch the cardboard and/or the paper in the vicinity of the cardboard edge so that the composite cardboard-labeled sheet will be in exact relation to the print regardless of any irregularities which the edge of the cardboard might possess.

United States Patent METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE REFERENCED LABELING OF SHEET MATERIAL 10 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 156/252,

156/513, 156/567 Int. Cl B65c l/02 Field of Search 156/227 Primary Examiner-Verlin R. Pendegrass Attorney-Hill, Sherman, Meroni, Gross & Simpson ABSTRACT: Accurate and consistent application of a label or the like to a sheet of cardboard or the like in fixed relation to a reference point on the cardboard is effected by an apparatus comprising a sheet material feeding means, a label feeding means, a label transport means synchronized with each of said sheet and label feeding means, a referencing means on said transport means in fixed relation to said label being carried thereby to cut and index said sheet material and thereby provide a uniform reference for application of said label and for further processing of said labeled sheet material. The label may be glued and as the glued label is brought into contact with the cardboard the cutting tool is operated to simultaneously notch the cardboard and/or the paper in the vicinity of the cardboard edge so that the composite cardboard-labeled sheet will be in exact relation to the print regardless of any irregularities which the edge of the cardboard might possess.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE REFERENCED LABELING F SHEET MATERIAL This invention generally relates to a sheet material marking means useful in packaging and paper converting and more particularly has reference to the apparatus and method of locating markings such as printing or labels on and in fixed relation to a sheet of material having edge irregularities by means of simultaneously applying the marking and referencing the sheet material.

The apparatus for carrying out the invention comprises a first supply means including a stack of sheet material from the bottom of which individual sheets of material are sequentially fed past a gate means in a conventional manner along a conveyor to a processing station. Such means are well known in the art as is substantiated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,105,681.

A transport means which may comprise a rotatable cylinder is positioned adjacent the processing station. A second label supply means is located adjacent the transport means and remote from the processing station, whereby the transport means, being synchronized with the first and second supply means, carries the labels from the second supply means past a gluing means and to the processing station where the label is adhered to the sheet material. The transport means includes a label gripper means to grasp the label fed from the second supply means and hold it in a predetermined position as the transport means rotates. The transport means also has thereon or associated therewith a sheet referencing means which is situated in fixed relation to the label and gripper means, whereby as the label is adhered to the sheet material the referencing means marks or notches the sheets, whereby subsequent processing of the sheet can be positionally related to the label by means of the referencing means. Where notches are formed, stop means may engage said notches to convey the sheets in regular order from the processing station.

The method for uniformly applying labels to a sheet of material having irregular edges and resistance comprises the steps of sequentially applying a label to a sheet of material and referencing the sheet material in fixed relation to the label irrespective of irregularities of the edge so that subsequent processing may take place with the label in a fixed position relative thereto. The sheet material moves in a first processing direction and the notches may be formed in both the leading and lateral edges relative to the processing direction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. I diagrammatically illustrates the problem of locating a corrugated sheet with a printed label thereon for a processing step;

FIG. 2 is similar to FIG. 1 but illustrates the solution of the invention;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic side view of an apparatus for effecting simultaneous gluing and notching in accordance with the invention; and

FIG. 4 diagrammatically shows a detail of FIG. 3 on larged scale.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Due to the fact that corrugated cardboard does not lend itself to print or only with great difficulty lends itself to print due to its uneven surface and varying resistance to pressure, the making of articles or objects such as corrugated cardboard boxes bearing print requires the use of sheets of paper bearing the print which are glued to the cardboard material.

When cutting out corrugated cardboard sheets prepared in this manner, it is obviously indispensible in most cases to carry out this operation not according to the cardboard profile but according to the print position.

In machines performing this work, the sheets are usually introduced by feeding them in relation to guide-marks, either by leading their edges against stops or tappets arranged in front of the sheets and, perhaps, also arranged sidewise of the sheets.

A corrugated cardboard sheet provided with a printed and glued sheet looks, for instance, as shown in FIG. 1. The cardboard is at 1 and bears the printed sheet 2. To feed the same, it is necessary to bring it to rest against the front tappets 3 and the lateral tappets 4.

At the time of gluing the printed sheet 2 on the corrugated cardboard l and when it is desired to feed the cardboard against tappets, an accurate alignment is impossible due to the fact that the edges of the corrugated cardboard are always irregular in shape and resistance as shown in FIG. 1. A subsequent cutting out, folding or other like operation in exactly aligned position in relation to the printed sheet 2 is thus nearly impossible.

An object of the present invention is to solve the problem providing a simple, common, effective and convenient means for labelling and referencing sheet material.

To achieve this object, the process according to the present invention provides that when, after seizing of a printed sheet in a position which is invariably the same in relation to at least one cutting tool, the printed sheet is applied and glued to the corrugated sheet of paper while cutting out simultaneously the edge of the corrugated sheet by means of the cutting tool referred to such that the cutouts will always occupy an identical position in relation to the printed sheets.

The device for carrying out this process will comprise means for transporting, one-by-one, printed sheets which these means seize in a predetermined position, at least one cutting tool having an inalterable position in relation to these means, means causing each successive cardboard sheet to be glued, and means bringing a corrugated cardboard sheet into contact with each glued and printed sheet of paper at the same time that the cutting tool is operated to cut, simultaneously, the cardboard and/or the paper in the vicinity of the cardboard edge.

While gluing the printed sheet of paper 2 on the corrugated cardboard sheet 1, three notches are simultaneously made in the latter, two frontal notches 5 and a lateral notch 6. These notches are in the vicinity of the edge of the printed sheet 2 and always occupy the same predetermined position in relation to the latter.

Thereafter, it is clear that when the accurately marked edges of these notches lean against the feeding tappets 3 and 4, the composite cardboard-printed sheet will be in exact relation to the print and this will result independently or any irregularities which the edge of the corrugated cardboard might have.

The number and the position of the notches may, of coarse, differ from the represented example. As illustrated, the notches encroach on the printed sheet. They could, however, be limited to the corrugated cardboard sheet only. As well, the process is not only applicable when the printed sheet of paper covers practically all of the corrugated cardboard sheet but could also provide for the case where it covers the latter only in part.

The process according to the invention can be performed by means of a device such as that shown by way of example and in very diagrammatical form in FIG. 3.

In FIG. 3, the pile of corrugated cardboard sheets 7 is retained by a gauge 8 allowing the lower sheets to escape, oneby-one, by means of a conveying and distributing mechanism of known type. These sheets are displaced in the direction of the arrow 9 on a conveyor band 10. A pile of printed sheets or labels 11 of paper is located on a slide 12 with the print on the underneath surfaces.

A mechanism of known type withdraws the upper sheets one-by-one, and leads them along an inclined ramp 13 by means of grippers 14 on a conveying cylinder 15 which turns in the direction of the arrow 16 and which is approximately tangent to the plane in which the cardboard sheets are mov ing. During their passage in front of a gluing roller 17, the

back of each printed sheet 11 of paper is provided with glue.

When one of the grippers 14 arrives in position tangent to the conveying band 10, a cardboard sheet 7 is located on the latter. Pressing rollers 18 will hold the sheet in fixed position thereon. As to sheets 11, these are introduced in marked position into the grippers 14 in conventional manner.

In further accordance with the invention, each gripper 14 is supplemented with one or more knives l9 borne by the cylinder 15 and reciprocable in radial direction. Usually, such knives are hidden within the cylinder, but protrude as indicated at 19' when the first part of the printed sheet of paper comes into contact with the first part of the cardboard sheet. This can be controlled by a cam arrangement or the like (not shown). At this time, the knife or knives cut out the notches referred to above with reference to FIG. 2. It is preferred for this purpose that the peripheral speed of the cylinder 15 be equal to the speed of the conveying band 10.

The band 10 can include several side-by-side components spaced to allow the knives to pass therebetween.

FIG. 4, which is diagrammatic and on enlarged scale, shows the relative position of a glued sheet 11', a cardboard sheet 7' and the knife 19' performing the process of the invention.

It conveying and distributing means for sheets other than a cylinder can be used such as, for instance, a beam.

Although I have herein set forth my invention with respect to certain specific principles and details thereof, it will be understood that these may be varied without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the hereunto appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for positioning labels on a sheet of material comprising: a first means to supply sheet material sequentially to a processing station, a transport means adjacent said processing station, a second means supplying labels to said transport means, said transport means being synchronized with said first and second supply means to carry said labels to said station and to apply the labels to the sheet material in synchronized sequential operations, and marking means on said transport means in fixed relation to said labels to mark said sheet material in fixed relation to the labels applied thereto whereby said sheet material is referenced in uniform relation to said labels for further processing.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the transport means includes a label gripper means whereby the labels from said second supply means are gripped and held on said transporting means in a predetermined position prior to being affixed to said sheet material.

3. An apparatus according to claim 2 wherein the marking means are notching knives which form notches in the edges of the sheet material.

4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the transport means is a rotating cylinder and the notching knives are reciprocally mounted on the cylinder.

5. An apparatus according to claim 4 further including a stop means for engaging said notches and conveying means to convey the sheets from the processing station to said stop means.

6. A method for uniformly applying labels to a sheet of material having irregular edges comprising sequentially applying a label to a sheet of material and marking the sheet material in a fixed relation to the label irrespective of irregularities of the edge whereby subsequent processing of the sheet can be positionally related to the label by means of said mark.

7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the marking is effected by notching at least one of the irregular edges of the sheet material.

8. A method according to claim 6 wherein the initial contacting of the label to the sheet material occurs substantially at the same time as the marking of the sheet material.

9. A method according to claim 8 wherein said sheet material moves in a first processing direction and the sheet material has leading and lateral edges related to a processing direction and is notched in at least one position on the leading edge.

10. A method according to claim 6 wherein said libel is applied to said sheet material by a transporting means at a processing station, and wherein said method includes the urther steps of sequentially feeding a label to said transporting means, and sequentially feeding a sheet of material to said processing station in synchrony with said transporting means.

UNITE'e STATES FATEN}? GFFIQE CERTWWATE QGRHEC'EEGN Patent No. 3, 607, 532 Dated September 21, 1971 Inventor-(s) Henri Bobst It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Coiumn 2, line 71, after sheets" insert --7--.

Column 3, line 21, after "It" insert "is obvious that".

Column 4, CEaLm 5, change "4" to --3-:-.

Coiumn 4, Claim 10, line 33, change "libel" to --1abe'i-- .wv-r. '3"); a g r. e i Signed one male-u M11. r.) 5.5m day 0.1. A3511 Jjid.

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2. An apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the transport means includes a label gripper means whereby the labels from said second supply means are gripped and held on said transporting means in a predetermined position prior to being affixed to said sheet material.
 3. An apparatus accordinG to claim 2 wherein the marking means are notching knives which form notches in the edges of the sheet material.
 4. An apparatus according to claim 3 wherein the transport means is a rotating cylinder and the notching knives are reciprocally mounted on the cylinder.
 5. An apparatus according to claim 4 further including a stop means for engaging said notches and conveying means to convey the sheets from the processing station to said stop means.
 6. A method for uniformly applying labels to a sheet of material having irregular edges comprising sequentially applying a label to a sheet of material and marking the sheet material in a fixed relation to the label irrespective of irregularities of the edge whereby subsequent processing of the sheet can be positionally related to the label by means of said mark.
 7. A method according to claim 6 wherein the marking is effected by notching at least one of the irregular edges of the sheet material.
 8. A method according to claim 6 wherein the initial contacting of the label to the sheet material occurs substantially at the same time as the marking of the sheet material.
 9. A method according to claim 8 wherein said sheet material moves in a first processing direction and the sheet material has leading and lateral edges related to a processing direction and is notched in at least one position on the leading edge.
 10. A method according to claim 6 wherein said libel is applied to said sheet material by a transporting means at a processing station, and wherein said method includes the further steps of sequentially feeding a label to said transporting means, and sequentially feeding a sheet of material to said processing station in synchrony with said transporting means. 